Improvement in ore-separators



UITED STATES PATENT '()ErrcEo PETER oSTEuSPEY, or MEcHEn-NIGE, PEUSSIA, AsSlGNoE To ADOLPHUS MEIEE a co., oE ST. Louis, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT lNoRE-SEPARATORS.

Specification formn g part of Letters Patent No. l;70,890, dated December 7, 1875; application led September 27, 1875'.

To all whom z'tmay concern: V Be it known that I, PETER OSTERSPEY, ofv Mechernich, in the Kingdom of Prussia, haveA invented an Improved Ore-Separator, of which vessel, having a screen-bottom, the opening in 'which is controlled by a plug or valve, operl i ated from the under side by a lever. A side pipe supplies fresh Water under this screenbottom of the separatorl top is a trough for couveyin g the crushed or granulated crude ore or minerals, with a current of water, into the separator. Further, surrounding the top of the separator is an extra trough for receiving l that part of the product which, by reason ofv less specic gravity, is Washed overthe sides of the separator.

When a sufficient amount of heavy material has settled 'on the sieve the operator opens the valve, which allows the greater portion of the heavy product to escape; then closes the valve to allow a repeated accumulation to take place on the sien-bottom. The current of fresh water entering below encounters the crushed mineral falling from the trough, and while the heavy particles fall the lighter ones are carried up and over the sides of the separator by this current. Further, this current depends on the head of water in the supplypipe for its velocity and pressure, both of which are increased as the free area is decreased by the accumulation of heavy mineral on and over the screen-bottom. They will bot-h be greater immediately before opening the valve than just after opening. It is, therefore, apparent that great skill, care, and observance must be exercised to alternately open and close the valve at required times, or to so regulate the opening and closing of the valve that this variation in velocity and pressure may notbecome too great, which it is difiicult for the most skillful operator to do, consequently to insure accuracy and uniformity of separation. Further, in machines 'of this class it is necessary that a certain quantity of the heavy mineral be always kept on the sievebottom and suspended in the rising current, in order to equalize velocity in the middle and sides, and prevent a welling or spurting up at a few points.` Only when the whole of any cross-section shows nearly .uniform velocity can correct and uniform separation be attained.

To remedy the defects enumerated, and which render the said machines imperfect and unsatisfactory'in their operation, is the main object of my invention.

My invention takes into consideration and utilizes the weight of the minerals suspended on the rising column of water, and which has heretofore not been considered, though known as a disturbing influence. The nature of my invention can, therefore, be stated to consist of an -automatic mechanism, as will hereafter more fully appear, by means whereof the alternate opening and closing of the valve takes place at such intervals as `may be necessar f, to insure at all times a sucient quantity of heavy minerals on the sieve and in suspense in the ascending column of water, and never too much or too little, thus achieving uniform velocity of this current.

Of the drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on line x y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan.

A is a suitably-constructed frame, in which the workin g parts of the apparatus are mounted. I provide this frame with the part division-Walls A1 A2, to form the water-compartments B'G, as shown in Figs. l and 2; the compartment B being to serve as a freshwater-supply chamber, and that of C as a reservoir, for the purpose hereafter to appear. Properly supported within the frame parts A A1 is the chamber or separator D, the bottom of which consists of a screen or grating, d, as ordinary. [n communication with the opening in the grating d I provide a pipe, E, which, by its branch, communicates with an exterior trough, E'. The lower mouth of the pipe ,E is controlled by a plug, c, all shown in Fig. 1. The compartment B has free communication to the compartment C, and both said compartments further freely communicate with the screen-bottom d of the separator, as shown in Fig. 1. F is the plug or valve-fitted in the opening in the screen-bottom d. The stem f of the valve I have pivoted at f' to a handlever, G; this is pivoted at g to a support top of thc frame A. (See'Figs. 1 and 2.) vThe lever G I arrange v4,to extend within reach of the stem h of a float, H, which I provide to operate in the compartment G. (See Fig. 1.) The lever G can be pvoted in any of the series of the holes h1 in the stern of the oat. By this means the operation4 of these parts can be made to control the opening and closing action 0f the valve at any desired stage of the Washing, and as stated to be in the nature of my invention. h2 is a guide-harto guide the motion of the hand-lever. The frame at I forms the feed-trough.

The parts thus constructed and arranged operate as follows: The crushed crude materials are carried by a current of Water through the trough I into the compartment D. The compartment B receives the fresh Water entering through an opening at t', and which can be provided with a scale to enable the operator to regulate and measure the water quantity. When the water irst enters B, and before any mineral is supplied in the separator, the Water-levels in B and D are nearly the same. As soon, however, as the heavy minerals begin to accumulate on and over the grating d a back pressure on the water in B causes the Water to rise higher in AB and C, raising the tloat H, and consequently opening the valve F at just such a stage of the washing as may be desirable. A portion of the heavy mineral then escapes through the pipe E into the trough E', and the water again falls in B and C; also, the float H falls and the valve F closes. It is evident that the continual opening and closing of the valve F by this automatic contrivance lcan be readily regulated; that, no matter what may be the specific gravity of the material o r its quantity, the velocity of the rising current of 'water in D` and quantity of heavy mineral on the sieve d may be kept uniform-in other Words, the separation by specic gravity can be thus kept in just such limits of accuracy as maybe required. By placing other exactly similar machines in connection with the trough I, the process of Washing can be repeated as often as required, and the most perfect separation attained. e What I claim is- ,1. I n combinationwith a mineral separator or washer, D, the water-compartments B G, the float H, connected to a lever, G, carrying the valve F, by Ameans; whereof the Weight of the minerals suspended in the separator is utilized to produce a back pressure of the water-column in G, to automatically open the said valve, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An operating automatic mechanism, consisting of the Water-compartments B G, the latter having a oat, H, connected to a lever, G, carrying a valve, F, the pipes E, trough E', all said parts being combined with a separator of the character herein shown and described, and' by means whereof the alternate opening and closing of said valve F is accomplished, in the manner set'torth.

In testimony of said invention, I have hereunto set my hand.

PETER OSTERSPEY.

Witnesses:

G. ADOLF HARDT, HENRY HoLsoHER. 

